So here is the dilemma. I will be doing some portrait work that will be printed on Platinum Palladium. My main concern is how to proof the images prior to printing the final images. The negatives will be printed using the Ziatype process and will need to be rather zippy in terms of contrast. I did an initial test to see how a negative fine tuned for the Ziatype process would look on Azo and the results were rather disappointing. Overall the contrast is extremely low on Azo grade 2 developed in Ansco 130. The grade 3 is even worse. I for one have never had any use for grade 2 as the shadows seem very muddy. The negatives are processed in D-76. Maybe the answer is to use Pyro for better results. Reducing the contrast in the negative developed in D-76 does not appeal as I want to keep contrast adjustments in the final printing process to a very minimum. What is a good compromise?

-Bruce